Unexplainable Weight Gain and GI Symptoms with Hashimoto's

@lkirnbauer
You have had a terrible year. Did your colon heal well?
Did you lose taste and smell from Covid? Do you know why you don’t feel hunger? I’m curious because I have noticed that the past year too, in addition to nausea and feeling full fast.

Suggest googling which meds cause weight gain. Birth control pills do, also most antidepressants, I think. It seems to me that Wellbutrin does not. Not sleeping well can cause carbohydrate craving. Inadequate sleep also causes depression. Have you had a sleep study?
Huge warning: fat cells, once on, are very difficult to change. There is even a virus, Adeno 36, which causes weight gain. In America 30% of the obese are carriers of this virus vs 11% of the normal weight. So much to learn about weight gain, yet my approach is that it’s always good to be proactive about a problem.
In any case, I’m wishing you daily discoveries of joys.

It’s not been a great year, thanks for that! My colon has healed, but well, not so sure, as I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s shortly after my colon surgery. These diagnoses slow your metabolism down, including any healing that would be happening. I feel that I am still healing, but am not experiencing anything abnormal there. My loss of hunger came along while I was healing after my colon surgery. I also began loosing my taste before I contracted Covid in December of 2022. Now, it’s been almost 11 months since I had Covid and I no longer taste or smell, or get hungry. I am currently seeing an acupuncturist to hopefully get my taste and smell back. I’ve gone 5 times and so far, nothing. Have you had a recent surgery or had Covid recently?

@lkirnbauer
I’m sorry you had double trouble- colon surgery and Hashimoto’s- do you feel that you get the right dose thyroid medication? You are right, it slows everything down.
It’s a great idea to try acupuncture- I have been thinking of trying it for my GI symptoms.
I lost taste and smell with Covid in August. Some is back but not like before. My hunger sense went over a year ago along with being nauseous and feeling full. At the time I also had severe stomach pain from a blocked celiac artery- another story. Pain disappeared after celiac artery treatment but the other issues stayed. I’m going to have a gastric emptying test at some point to see if I have gastroparesis.
Is there any testing available for your loss of taste?

Yes, I feel that I am on the correct dose of medication. I did have it altered after beginning on 100 mcg of Synthroid to 112 mcg and my doctor then added in the Cytomel because my antibodies were still high.
So, you just had Covid and lost your sense of smell? I’m sorry for that. I’m going on 11 months without my taste or smell and I’m praying that the acupuncture helps get it back. I’m also sorry that you don’t get hungry either. Do you have celiac? That could be the reason you feel nauseous and full. I hope your testing brings you to some answers and that you feel better soon.
I don’t know of any tests for loss of taste and smell. If you do, I’d be open to hearing about it.
Thanks for your response!

Long before this pandemic era, a good Chinese acupuncturist helped my husband’s sense of smell return after three acupuncture treatments.

Best wishes in finding a good one!

This is my first attempt at acupuncture and I’m not sure what to look for as far as “Good” acupuncturist. This doctor is also a chiropractor and seems well versed in Chinese Acupuncture. I’ve had 6 treatments and so far no change, but I’m going to continue going for a while, because this is pretty much my last hope of getting it back.

To find a good Chinese acupuncturist it helps to ask a Chinese person who goes to one. Is there a Chinese area near you? I’m fortunate in that I live in Los Angeles, which has a Chinatown. In my experience, if a treatment is going to work progress will be apparent within three treatments. However, there is also the thought that according to Asian medicine, the longer one has had a condition, the longer it takes to cure it.

Wishing you well!

I have Hashimoto's with weight gain and increased G.I. (GERDS/IBS) symptoms. The G.I. symptoms got worse after COVID. There is definitely a connection with weight gain and thyroid disease. I do find endocrinologists tend to be more interested in numbers than your symptoms for some reason. I think it's because they treat so many patients day after day. I could not tolerate any of the thyroid medications. I also have Graves Disease and I am on Methimazole 5 mg daily. I alternate between hypo & hyper thyroid.....go figure, right? I can tell when my thyroid is in a flare from palpitations, extra fatigue, and being either way to hot or way to cold. My hashimotos did not show up in my TSH, T3 or T4 but my Thyroid Antibodies were extremely high which screams inflammation. It's so hard to keep thyroid regulated. I go every 3 months. Right now my T3 levels just came back on the low side. I go next week to discuss my bloodwork with my Endo I am praying for you and I care.

A couple of things that can cause chronic diarrhea is Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) and BAM (bile acid malabsorption). There are stool tests to check for both, but because uncommon, even GI specialists may not consider them. I have EPI, where the pancreas does not secrete the needed digestive enzymes. Stools are loose, oily looking, float and smell awful. Treated with a capsule of digestive enzymes taken with meals. Simple test for and treat. Similar story for BAM, lack of bile acids.